Baptism is an outward expression of an inward change. It’s a public declaration of how Jesus changed your life. Being baptized shows others that you’ve decided to follow Jesus, and allows them to celebrate this decision with you (Acts 16:31-34).

Baptism doesn’t save a person; it’s a step of obedience, a profession of your faith, and a celebration of salvation.

Jesus instructs us to be baptized and set the example by being baptized (Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 1:9).

Obedience to Jesus shows we believe and follow Him (1 John 2:3). Being baptized shows that we are turning away from a life of sin and turning toward Jesus, the only one who can change us (Acts 2:38-41).

Jesus asks us to be baptized as soon as we decide to become life-long followers of him, through repentance and faith. Baptism shows the world that we have made that decision.

Each person must decide, individually, if they will commit their lives to Jesus, including children (Romans 10:9).

Any instance of baptism follows a person’s decision to trust Jesus for his or her salvation and commitment to follow Him (Acts 10:47-48). At Beacon Hill, we baptize children when they have expressed their own decision to follow Jesus and understand the meaning of baptism.

Immersion, sprinkling, and pouring are three common methods of baptism. Baptisms in the Bible were by immersion (going under the water). The original word for baptism most often referred to being immersed or submerged in water. Jesus was baptized by being immersed in the water and rising out of it (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10).

Going under the water best symbolizes the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Being submersed represents our death to sin and old way of life, and being raised out of the water is a picture of how Jesus raised us and gave us a fresh start in life (Romans 6:3-5). This also symbolizes a total cleansing from sin.

If you haven’t been baptized by immersion since you decided to follow Jesus, we want you to do so in order to take that next step of following Jesus, the biblical way.

Also, it's important to remember that the Bible tells us that baptism follows repentance and faith in Jesus. If you were baptized before you truly decided to follow Jesus, it's important that your baptism be in the proper order.

There are other times that people who have been baptized by immersion may think about being baptized again.

No matter your situation, if you're thinking about baptism we would love to talk to you more about it!

If you are ready to follow Jesus in baptism or have more questions, we'd love to talk to you more about taking this next step. Just fill out the form below and we'll reach out soon!